We started a greetings card company because the inconvenience proves you mean it

Hi, we’re the Blackwells and we love creating and sending cards.

  • A date night several years ago hatched the makings of a plan to create the Blackwell Press. We’d been discussing how greeting cards are such a simple mechanism for expressing you are thinking about the recipient and, despite the convenience, ease and zero cost of email, a card in an envelope felt like it had so much more meaning. Why was that? Cards can be expensive, and when you post them, and measure the time involved to add a stamp and put it in a mail box, it seemed like a business idea that had already been usurped by technology

    And yet people still send cards, and not just your grandma.

    “It’s because it takes effort, time and cost. That’s why it has more meaning. The inconvenience of choosing a card, hand writing a message in it and posting it really proves you are committed to expressing how you feel to the recipient. That’s why we send cards,” offered Milie, while Adam was transfixed by her beauty, and was thinking about how he would write that in a card.

  • That was it! We love the analogue, old school ideals surrounding cards in this mega-digital world we live in and we set up the business in our home town of Greytown to reinforce our personal values.

    The cards had to be designed and made in New Zealand. Our good friend Paul designs almost all of our cards that are mainly written by Adam. We print them on recyclable card at Greytown’s Lamb Peters Print and we source our compostable sleeves and recyclable envelopes locally.

    Today, we have a family owned business with local employees in small town New Zealand and we proudly send our cards all over the country for kiwis to enjoy sending on to their favourite people.

    Thanks for visiting our online store. Pop into Greytown and see us in person if you are visiting the Wairarapa.

Millie and Adam Blackwell
Blackwell Press
Greytown

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Meet the team

  • Millie Blackwell

    OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

    Millie has always had a keen eye for creating beautiful spaces, abundant displays and products that are functional and fun to use. She also likes a tightly run ship and systems that work. So by corralling the slightly looser creative team of Paul and Adam and putting some structures and disciplines in place, the Blackwell Press has a unique combination of everything it needs to produce cards that people love.

  • Adam Blackwell

    CREATIVE DIRECTOR

    Adam has produced stories since the age of four when he wrote and illustrated his first book. His career quickly evolved into writing corporate newsletters and advertising copy, television and radio scripts and point of sale material for global brands. Today, he is the brand story teller and creative driver of Blackwell and Sons, Greytown Distilling Co, Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop and Blackwell Press.

  • Paul Rees

    GRAPHIC DESIGNER

    Paul has been a graphic designer throughout his working life, and has been a design partner with Adam since 1996. He has a particular sensitivity towards creating images that exude warmth, love and joy. Most recently, Paul and Adam collaborated on their first children’s adventure book, Don’t Go Near The Creek which became a number one seller in Greytown for five months, at Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop.

Keen to collaborate?

If you’re an artist that would like to collaborate with the Blackwell Press, please get in touch using the contact form on this website. We’d love to hear from you.

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